Carter Accused Of Job Discrimination

A former employee has charged Orange County Supervisor of Elections Betty Carter with job discrimination, prompting an investigation by the county's Equal Employment Department.

Sally Raikes, who was Carter's personnel director for two years, said she was forced to resign rather than continue discriminatory hiring practices that Carter favored. Raikes resigned in August.

Raikes said she was instructed to make a surreptitious mark on application forms if job candidates were minorities to make sure they were not hired.

Carter said she was shocked by Raikes' allegations. ''I'm just dumbfounded that she says such things,'' she said, declining further comment because of the investigation.

Henry A. Saldana, manager of the Equal Employment Department, said his office may have to wait until after Tuesday's election before interviewing Carter and her personnel about Raikes' allegations. Election duties are likely to keep Carter and the others too busy in the meantime, he said.

Raikes was one of three former employees who contended in Orlando Sentinel stories in August that Carter's office was badly mismanaged and that in some close elections the wrong candidate may have been mistakenly named the winner. Carter said later that Raikes merely was unhappy that she had been passed over for promotions.

Deputy elections supervisor Bill Cowles said that of the office's 37 employees, five are black and two are Hispanic.